Type-writer



(No Model.) 1 3 Sheets -Shet 1.

F. VAN FLEET &- G. E. GRAPE.

TYPE WRITER.

No. 425,589. 'Pa'tentedApr. 15, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

F. VAN FLEET & G. E. GRAPE. TYPE WRITER.

No. 425,589. Patented Apr. 15,1890.

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(No Model.)

TYPE WRITER.

Patented Apr. 15. 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

FRED VAN FLEET AND GEORGE ERIEG GRAFF, OF \VILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TYPE-WRITER.

SPEGIFICATIONforming' part of Letters Patent No. 425,589, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed December 9, 1889. Serial No. 383,090. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED VAN FLEET and GEORGE Earns Gal inn, citizens of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The liability of type to become soiled and to make a blurred impression is well-known as a serious impediment to the continuous and satisfactory use of type-writing ma- Frequent cleaning becomes necessary. To facilitate this brushes and similar devices have been attached to such machines and provided with suitable hand-wheels or cranks and intermediate connections, whereby such brushes are moved over the face of the types to clean them without the necessity of introducing into the machine any brush, cloth, or other article not ordinarily connected thereto. As an improvement on such devices we employ an oscillating brush, which is actuated by the machine itself, and which sweeps over all the type in one motion. It is also arranged to be operated by hand, if preferred.

Our invention consists, therefore, in the improvements in construction and combination hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figu rel represents a rear elevation of a Remington typewriting machine provided with an automatic brush-operating attachment embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section of the same from front to rear. Fig. 3 represents a detail perspective view of the brush-operating devices. Fig. 4 represents a plan. of the brush-type basket and part of the brush-operating lever, the type-bars being shown in cross-section.

A designates the frame of the machine; B, the carriage for the feed-rolls and paper, movable across the top. of "said frame from side to side on guide-bars O C; D, the main spring, drawing said carriage from right to left by strap D 3 E, the rack-bar pivoted on rear guide-bar C, but connected to said carriage and provided on its under side with rack E 3 F, the escapement, having pawls ff engaging with said rack to govern the movement of the carriage from right to left and convert it into a step-by-step motion of less or greater intervals, (though uniform, of course, in either case,) according to whether said escapement is acted on by the buttons or keys G, through button or key levers H, lower cross-bar l, connecting-rods J, and upper cross-bar K, or by treadle-bar or spacebar Land its rearwardly-extending arms L, bearing directly on said lower cross-bar.

The rack-bar is provided on the opposite side of its pivotal line from the rack E with a bent or angular arm M, having a terminal thumb-piece m, whereby said angular arm may be depressed for lifting the rack E out of engagement with said escapement-pawls. This is usuallydone to allow the retraction of the carriage. The same result may also be attained by depressing the rear end of the feed-roll lever N, which overhangs this angular arm M. By lifting the forward or handle end of this lever, which is pivoted to the carriage, this depression. is effected, and simulta neously the feed-rolls O P, journaled in said carriage, are driven by a pawl n on said feedroll lever, engaging a ratchet-wheel p on the shaft of one of said rolls to effect the required line-spacin g. This lever is also provided with a replacing-spring it. Each button-lever or key-lever is connected. by a rod h to a typebar H, the series of type-bars and types forming the type-basket of elliptical downward opening. Across the top of said type-basket extends the inking-ribbon i, winding at its ends on rollers j. The escapement F is provided at its base with a sleeve F, turning on a shaft or rod Q, which is fixed to the rear of frame A.

All of the parts thus far referred to are old and well known, and I do not deem it necessary to describe further the details of the ordinary Remington machine.

It designates a rack attached to rack-bar E, but entirely distinct from the ordinary rack E, already described. It meshes, when said rack is lifted as before described, with a gearwheel S on a short shaft T, and has either more or less than half the number of teeth of said wheel to avoid locking the latter on the lower dead central posit-ion of the pitman, hereinafter described. Said shaft T is journaled in the upwardly-extending walls of a U shaped bearing-bracket S, which is detachably fastened to frame A by screws 5, or in any other convenient manner. These screws also hold in place the stop 25, which prevents the rack-bar from rising too far. This is the ordinary rack-bar stop of such machines, except that we have recessed it at t to avoid Contact with the wheel S.

When our type-cleaning devices are to'be applied to a Remington machine or any other of similar construction in this respect, the screws 8 are withdrawn, the bearing-bracket S is placed on the base part of said stop, and the stop and bracket togetherare secured to said frame by said screws.

' a crank-arm T on it, from which a pitmanU extends down to the brush-operating arm or lever V, the connection between them being at or near the outer end of the latter. The other end of said lever carries a brush WV of such shape as to fit the lower opening of the type-basket, so that an upward motion of said brush will carry it over all the types at once. The middle part of said arm or lever V is attached to a yoke or U-shaped suspending bracket X, which is loosely hung at its ends on the escapement shaft or rod Q aforesaid; Thus the said brush-operating arm or lever V is not pivotedv directly, but suspended pivotally, so as to:

or its center pins or bearings.

have its f ulcrum-point considerably above the lever itself, making 'the upward and downward motion of the brush more nearly vertical than it would be in the former case. The

downward motion of pitman U causes the upward motion of said brush, and the downward motion of the latter is caused by the action of a retracting spring-Y extending from bracket S to arm V. The attachment of said arm or lever V to bracket or yoke X is by means of a clamping-plate Z, which fits on said arm,

the latter resting in its turn on the lower part of said yoke. This clamping-plate is fastened to the latter by screws These may be loosened and the said bar or lever may be slipped farther in or out before tightening them again, thus adjusting easily the length of the throw and allowing compensation for wear and such contraction or expansion as may be due to changes of temperature.

As the brush-operating rack R can engage with the gear-wheel S, arranged above it, only 'or otherpurposes, is an equally necessary step The shaft T has in the operation of the machine, and. every time the feed-roll lever is movedto allow this shifting the brush is vibrated across the types as a necessary incident of such motion. The brush-operating arm or leverV may of course be operated by hand also, the pitman U being first detached by Opening the'e'ye at itslower end, which may be a spring-eye, if preferred) to allow this method of working; but the automatic action of our oscillating type-clean- -ing brush is the most important feature of our invention, and the latter would include a brush capable of cleaning all the type at onceand its operating-connections, whatever .the kind or style of type-writing machine to which they may be applied, and whether attached to the shifting mechanism, as in the instance illustrated, or otherwise, the essential distinction being that such a brush must be actuated by some part of the normal operation of the machine,'in order that it may not require individual thought and effort, norbe liable to the risk of neglect. attachment the act of cleaning must be very frequent, and the machine can be operated continuously, and the types will never become soiled, so as to deface the impression.

The brush may be made cheaply and easily replaced when worn out.

A machine such as the one shown will need no modification for the attachment of the brush-operating devices, except reccssing the rack-bar stop very slightly, the escapelnent- With such an shaft or its center pins or bearings being made tion of a type-cleaning brush movable at one motion over all the type and away therefrom with the type-writing and paper-shifting mechanism and connections between said brush and a moving part of said machine, in order that the brush may be operated, as

above stated, by the normal working of the machine, for the purpose set forth.

2. A type-Writing machine provided with anautomatic oscillatingbr-u sh or type-cleaner, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination of the movable rack-bar, the feed-roll le- I ver arranged opposite an attachment of said rack-barfor operating the latter, a type-- cleaning brush, and connections between said rack-bar and said brush, substantially as set forth.

4. In a type-Writing machine, a rack-bar provided with two racks and movable upward and downward, in combination with an escapement engaging one of. said racks. when said rack ba-r is in one position, and a gearwheel engaging the other rack when said rackbar is in the other position,a type-cleaning brush, and connections between said gearwheel and said brush for automatically operating the latter, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a typecleaning brush and its lever, a yoke to which said lever is attached, the said yoke being adapted to be suspended from the escapement-shaft or escapement-shaft centers of a type-Writing machine, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the type-cleaning brush and its lever, a yoke hung pivotally to points above said lever and a clamp or setscrewadjustably securing said lever to said yoke, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with a typecleaning brush and its lever, a crank-shaft, pitman, and retracting-spring for'vibrating the said lever, and a rack and wheel forrotating said,

shaft, the rack being movable with the carriage of the type-writing machine, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with a typecleaning brush and the carriage of a type-writing ma chine,a rack and wheel, a 'pitman, a crankshaft for said Wheel, and a brush-carrying arm or lever, the rack having thereon either more or less than half the number of teeth the type-basketwith the carriage and intervening mechanism operating said brush antomatically, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

FRED VAN FLEET. GEORGE ERIEG GRAFF.

Witnesses:

J. B. CHAMPION, H. S. KNIGHT. 

